novelden Chapter 112 Demonic Aura
Chapter 112 Demonic Aura
"Susu!"
A small, furry object was pushed to Ning Xiaoxi's feet. Ning Xiaoxi, holding firewood, looked down. First, a small tail flickering with blue flames appeared, followed by a pair of twitching little ears, and then large, sapphire-like eyes that stared at Ning Xiaoxi without blinking.
Ning Xiaoxi glanced at Kuiwei Chi and Kuiwei Yuan, both of whom were staring at the little fox. Kuiwei Shouyu continued chopping wood without stopping, while Jiuyu remained seated, as if he hadn't seen anything.
Ning Xiaoxi bit her lip, then bent down, picked up the snow rabbit, walked to the fire, and handed it to Kuiweichi. "I've seen that little guy before. He wants to trade for food."
Kuiweichi looked at the little fox again. It hadn't actually left; it was still following Ning Xiaoxi's feet. "The Frostflame Fox is always shy and wouldn't approach humans. Xiaoxi is indeed special." Kuiweichi took the snow rabbit. "Should we wait a while longer, or would it like this half-cooked one too?"
"No rush, no rush, it'll be delicious when it's cooked." Ning Xiaoxi pretended not to hear what Kuiweichi had said earlier, and looked down at the little fox, saying, "It's not cooked yet, we can't eat it, let's wait a little longer." After saying that, she sat down by the fire, looking at the fragrant roasted lamb, and casually put her hand on the little fox's head. The fluffy head felt a little thin, you could even feel the skull, it didn't feel fleshy at all. "Your nose is really sharp, how come you've lost so much weight? You can't be picky about food, otherwise what will you do after I leave?"
The little fox stared intently at the roasted lamb, ignoring Ning Xiaoxi stroking its head. It even lowered its tail, which was burning with blue flames, to prevent it from brushing against Ning Xiaoxi.
Kuiwei Shouyu came over carrying firewood. He looked at the two little ones sitting obediently waiting for the roasted lamb, smiled slightly, and said nothing.
The little fox glanced timidly at Kuiwei Shouyu, then moved even closer to Ning Xiaoxi's feet with great fear.
Ning Xiaoxi looked at Kuiwei Shouyu strangely. This little fox should be of the ice attribute, right? Why is it not afraid of the flame-like Kuiwei Pool and Kuiwei Abyss, but afraid of Kuiwei Shouyu who cultivates the Taiyin Technique?
"My cultivation technique is not advanced enough, and the little guy feels threatened." Kuiwei said with some annoyance, "It seems that among the five of us, my skill is the worst."
Ning Xiaoxi blinked, feeling that Kuiwei Shouyu was subtly criticizing her. She was still a junior celestial master who hadn't reached a high level; did he really have to make such a big deal out of it? She decided to pretend she hadn't understood.
Jiuyu glanced at the little fox indifferently, a wisp of black light flashing in his eyes, completely silent under the cover of night.
The sapphire-blue eyes of the Frostflame Fox were stained black, and the blue flames on its tail also began to turn black.
Sensing the change in temperature beneath her hands, Ning Xiaoxi's eyes flickered. Suddenly, she jumped up and ran quickly behind Kuiwei Shouyu, crying out, "Shouyu, help!"
Kuiwei was caught off guard by Ning Xiaoxi's move, and the black flames of the Cold Flame Fox were already chasing after Ning Xiaoxi.
The Yin energy of the moon condensed around the body of the Frostflame Fox. "Bang!" Softly, the little fox's figure dispersed into a cloud of black mist, and blue flames burst forth from the black mist, instantly burning to ashes.
Ning Xiaoxi peeked out from behind Kuiwei Guardian. The place where the little fox had once been had vanished without a trace.
"You're afraid of such a little fox that's not even a demon?"
Ning Xiaoxi walked back to the fire without a care, staring at the lamb leg that had been roasted until crispy, her mouth almost watering. "It's not that I'm afraid of it, after all, we've met before, and I still feel a little reluctant to actually eat it."
"How can you be a Taoist master if you're so soft-hearted?" Kuiwei Shouyu's face darkened, and his tone became increasingly harsh.
"Whether or not one can become a Taoist priest is not determined by whether or not one kills a fox! Besides, it's not even a demon."
"Now that it has appeared in the world, it already shows signs of becoming a demon, and it will soon form a demon core. Are we going to wait until it harms us before killing it?"
Ning Xiaoxi's expression also darkened. She turned to look at Kuiwei Shouyu, her coldness clearly visible in her eyes. "It only appeared because it was close to me. You also saw that its flames were black. That's not an ability that a little fox that hasn't even formed its core can use. I didn't say that demons can't be killed, but you killed it without verifying the truth. Should I praise you as a hero?"
“A demon is a demon. Regardless of the source of its power, it was attacking you just now, so it deserves to be killed.” Kuiwei’s aura surged, and killing intent emerged.
"Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together." Ning Xiaoxi said no more and turned back to her tent.
Jiuyu sat there watching the two argue, his expression indifferent.
Kuiweichi and Kuiweiyuan carefully cut up the roasted lamb and placed it in front of Jiuyu. They then tore open another roasted lamb and began to eat it heartily.
Kuiwei's defensive aura gradually stabilized. Looking at Ning Xiaoxi's quiet tent, he was surprised by his emotional fluctuations just now. Since cultivating the Taiyin Technique, his emotions had gradually stabilized, and after cultivating to the Taiji Realm, he had almost no temper left.
After staring at Ning Xiaoxi's tent for a while, Kuiwei Shouyu turned around and walked to Jiuyu, kneeling on one knee. "Master, your disciple knows his mistake."
Jiuyu propped himself up on his knees and rested his wrists on his knees. “We will arrive at Kongsang Mountain in two days. If you are still unable to calm your mind when you reach the foot of the mountain, you will not need to climb it.”
Ning Xiaoxi secretly peeked through the tent flap at Kuiwei Guardian's apology, then squinted at Jiuyu. Was this black dragon genuinely helping Kuiwei Guardian advance his rank? Using someone else's little fox to test his state of mind—truly making the most of it! She just wondered whose mindset it was testing. Just then, Jiuyu's cold gaze swept over. Ning Xiaoxi opened the tent flap a little wider, her small face peeking through the flap as she smiled at Jiuyu.
With a slight twitch of his fingers, Jiu Yu sent the plate of mutton in front of him flying to Ning Xiaoxi. Ning Xiaoxi happily caught it and returned to her tent with a smile.
The temperature on the icy plains was low, and the mutton had cooled down, making it taste dry and gamey. Ning Xiaoxi ate it quickly and decisively, bite by bite. The fire inside the tent wasn't as warm as the one outside, but even though the flames were small, it still provided warmth. Couldn't a Celestial Master have warmth?
At midnight, the wind picked up and snow began to fall, turning the cold white ground into a silvery white, with the hard ice covered by the soft snow.
Ning Xiaoxi nestled in the soft animal hide, the long fur seemingly dissipating heat, a warm aura surrounding her, impervious to the cold. Thinking of what the spirit of Kuiwei Mountain had said before their separation—that the pile of items was prepared by Kuiwei Mountain Moon before his trial—she wondered, is this what friends are? Leaving her parents and brothers, stepping alone into this icy plain, she realized that amidst the chill, her family was still the most reliable. She thought of her parents far away in another world, wondering how they were doing. According to Tuanzi, they had forgotten her. But she hadn't forgotten!
Before I knew it, homesickness spread, and in my hazy sleep, tears silently streamed down my face.
"Tai Chi flip, break!"